Wake Island
The Battle of Wake Island was a battle in the Pacific theater of World War II. It was initiated by a Japanese assault on the American controlled island on December 8, 1941, simultaneous with the attack on Pearl Harbor. The battle is the basis for maps in the games Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Vietnam's WWII mod and Battlefield 1943. However, the map is seen as an iconic symbol of the entire Battlefield series, with versions featured, albeit in different contexts, in Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2142 and Battlefield 3 as a part of the Back to Karkand DLC. Battlefield 1942 Wake Island is a map in Battlefield 1942, and was the map included in the Battlefield 1942 demo. It is a Pacific theatre map, contested between the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC). There are 5 flags, all held at the beginning of the game by the USMC. The Japanese must launch an amphibious attack from their waiting fleet. Japanese forces start with more reinforcement tickets than the USMC, but are at a slow ticket-bleed until they manage to control at least one flag. If all flags are captured by the Japanese, American forces will lose their tickets extremely quickly, losing over 10 tickets per second, usually resulting in immediate defeat. Wake Island is characterized by its unique horseshoe-like shape, which makes for a narrow battlefield. As such, there is usually always a certain frontline that can only be displaced by brute force or by entering through a different leg of the island. Equipment Japanese Fleet At the start of the game, possessing no capture points, the Japanese forces spawn at the Japanese fleet, consisting of an aircraft carrier and destroyer, each with landing craft. The ships are movable, but in singleplayer the destroyer is initially located off the island's South coast, near the 'Landing Beach' control point (within range of the Landing Beach's defgun), while the aircraft carrier is positioned at the narrow entrance to the lagoon in the North West (within range of the North Western and South Western defguns). In multiplayer, both ships are located where the aircraft carrier is in singleplayer. BF1942 WAKE ISLAND JAPANESE FLEET.PNG|Japanese fleet in multiplayer Landing Beach Usually the point of initial engagement, this is the closest part of the island to the Japanese fleet (in singleplayer) and makes an ideal location for an amphibious landing (other suitable locations are present, in the South East corner of the lagoon near the Airbase, at the North West and South West defgun positions and on the Eastern coast between the North Base and Airfield). Located on the island's Southern limb, West of the Airfield. Like all points on the map, it is initially American controlled. Two tanks spawn at the Landing Beach on the road behind the beach and overlooking bunker. A coastal defgun is located here, pointed at the Japanese fleet. BF1942 WAKE ISLANDNG BEACH JAPANESE CONTROL.PNG|Under Japanese control, looking East BF1942 WAKE ISLANDNG BEACH AMERICAN CONTROL.PNG|Under American control, looking West (Defgun in the background) Airfield Wake Island features an airfield, located in the island's South Eastern corner, where the island's southern and northern limbs meet. Spawning 3 fighter planes, a tank and a jeep, it also houses a defgun, overlooking the atoll's lagoon. Initially controlled by the US forces, it is a key Japanese target for potentially disabling the defensive US forces. While under Japanese control, Japanese forces also have ultimate air superiority, with no US opportunity to launch aircraft. BF1942 WAKE ISLAND AIRFIELD AMERICAN CONTROL.PNG|Under US control, looking North (Defgun in background) BF1942 WAKE ISLAND AIRFIELD JAPANESE CONTROL.PNG|Under Japanese control, looking South BF1942 WAKE ISLAND AIRFIELD AMERICAN PLANES.PNG|US aircraft spawned at the Airfield BF1942 WAKE ISLAND AIRFIELD JAPANESE PLANES.PNG|Japanese aircraft spawned at the Airfield South Base and coast The South Base is the furthest West control point of the island's southern limb, initially under US control, it is located on the other side of the Landing Beach to the Airfield. It spawns a tank, a jeep and an APC. To the West of the base is a short bridge from the main island to a smaller island. Located at the far West end of this island are a defgun and a Willys MB. BF1942 WAKE ISLAND SOUTH BASE JAPANESE CONTROL.PNG|South Base under Japanese control, looking North (Northern coast visible in background) BF1942 WAKE ISLAND SOUTH BASE AMERICAN CONTROL.PNG|South Base under US control (Smaller Western island, with bridge, visible in background) BF1942 WAKE ISLAND COASTAL DEFGUN 1.PNG|South Western defgun position, looking South Village, North Base and coast To the North of the Airfield is a stretch of island leading to another limb, heading West parallel to the Southern limb. At the corner of these two limbs is the initially US controlled North Base. Home to an AA gun and defgun, it also spawns a jeep and an APC. To the West of this is another initially American control point, the Village. Home to multiple buildings, it spawns a jeep and a tank. Similar to the Southern coast, to the West of the Village, at the far West of the island's horseshoe are a defgun and a Willys MB. BF1942 WAKE ISLAND NORTH BASE AMERICAN CONTROL.PNG|North Base under US control, facing North West, with defgun visible BF1942 WAKE ISLAND NORTH BASE JAPANESE CONTROL.PNG|North Base under Japanese control, facing South East BF1942 WAKE ISLAND VILLAGE AMERICAN CONTROL.PNG|Village under American control BF1942 WAKE ISLAND VILLAGE JAPANESE CONTROL.PNG|Village under Japanese control, facing West towards defgun position BF1942 WAKE ISLAND COASTAL DEFGUN 2.PNG|North Western defgun position, looking North Outcome Battlefield Vietnam Wake Island was added to Battlefield Vietnam with a World War II mod which offered Battlefield 1942 maps modified with more plants and trees while the core of the maps such as flag positions remained the same. Battlefield 1943 In Battlefield 1943, Wake Island is one of the three original maps, being available as soon as players purchased it. It was a highly modified version of the Battlefield 1942 map, being relatively smaller and differently set out. It is also the first time the map was built with the Frostbite Engine. Like all maps in Battlefield 1943, it is contested by the Imperial Japanese Navy and the United States Marine Corps. There are five flags, all initially neutral. Players of both sides spawn on aircraft carriers and must deploy to the island and capture flags. As long as a team controls at least one flag, the opposing team will be at a constant ticket bleed, made faster depending on how many flags are under their control. Wake Island is a very versatile map. Like Iwo Jima, players have fighters, boats, tanks and jeeps at their disposal. The map retains its iconic horseshoe-shape, though doesn't quite have the same sense as of the frontline as in Battlefield 1942, and it can be relatively easy for players to navigate around the map, and maneuver around enemy lines. Long-range to close-range combat is present. Equipment Carriers The Carriers are the starting points for both factions, with the Japanese carrier near the southern limb of the island, and the American carrier near the norther one. Two fighters and four LCVPs spawn on them. Signal Station Located past the bridge connecting the southern limb of the island, the Signal Station is the closest flag to the American carrier. Comprising of a few houses, a trench decorated with sandbags and barbed wire facing the lagoon, fuel tanks surrounded by sheet metal, the signal station spawns a 40mm Bofors, an M1919 Browning mounted in a watchtower and an LCVP docked in the water. A tank and a jeep also spawn. To the West of the flag, past the bridge on the southern leg, a neutral Willys MB spawns. Beach The Beach is a relatively minor flag situated on the south side of the map. It comprises descending paths to a small bunker and sandbag formation. Inside the bunker spawns an M1919 Browning. It spawns a single jeep located up the path leading West. It is secluded and does not provide much vehicle support, and as such rarely sees a large amount of combat. It is notably unsuitable to vehicular combat, since the paths are difficult for a tank or jeep to enter, and as such is generally prone to close-quarters infantry combat. Airfield The Airfield, located to far south-east of the map, is arguably the most important flag of the map. It provides two tanks, three jeeps and an extra fighter plane, and most importantly activates the map's Air Raid Bunker. It is a large area, comprising of many small and large buildings, including a repair station and an airstrip (with two hangars). The flag itself is placed near an L-shaped house by the airstrip, and can be captured within the house or outside it. It is important to note that even if a player's faction does not control the Airfield, they can still use the Air Raid Bunker. AA Village The AA Village is located to the North-West of the island's northern leg. It comprises several houses, similar to the Village and the Signal Station. As its name states, it spawns several 40mm Bofors anti-air guns, situated in or on the outskirts along the paths leading to the village. It also spawns a jeep. Village Symmetrical to the Signal Station, the Village is located near the end of the island's northern limb, and is the closest flag to the Japanese carrier. It is past the bridge, and as such can bes difficult to access by ground vehicles if the bridge is destroyed. Comprised of a few houses and sandbag formations, it spawns 40mm Bofors, an M1919 Browning mounted in a watchtower, an LCVP docked in the water, a tank and a jeep. Trivia *In Battlefield 1943 there is a sand castle with the Swedish flag which is located on one of the islands by Beach. References Category:Maps Category:Battlefield 1942 maps Category:Battlefield Vietnam Maps Category:Maps of Battlefield 1943